ASUO
Continued from Page 1
to a person who wanted to
change things.
"That trip taught me a lot about
people," Bowen said. "It changed
my priorities and changed what
I wanted to do (at the Universi
ty). I had always been progressive
and I've always been involved.”
The next school year Bowen
became very involved with stu
dent government and student
programs, and as ASUO pro
grams director was able to meet
with many of the students who
were involved with campus pol
itics.
"I heard all the things that stu
dents wanted to change," Bowen
said, "and I began to understand
the people that were involved in
different issues."
Collins Puente began her
activism ns a member of MEC'hA
and worked her way into n posi
tion as co-director of the program.
She then went on to become a
student senator and ASUO mul
ticultural advocate.
"1 love to know ns much as
possible and to be involved as
much as possible,” Collins
Puente said.
She grew up with parents who
were very active in political
issues such as the anti-nuclear
movement and issues dealing
with Guatemala, the country
where she was born and where
much of her family still lives.
When winter term came
around last school year, the usu
al question was being asked
around the ASUO office: "So
who's running?"
Bowen answered the call
because he believed he and the
students (mainly those in the stu
dent unions) could work well
together.
The second question that peo
ple began asking in winter was,
"Why did he pick her?”
Bowen asked one of the most
controversial and outspoken stu
dents at the University to Im* his
running mate: Collins Puente.
rue photo
Eric Bowen and Diana Collins Puente speak at the ASUO debates
during last spring's student government elections.
"She had always been contro
versial and she isolated a lot of
people. Hut I liked her politics,"
Bowen said. "It was not going to
Iks easy sailing , it never is.”
"I hesitated," said Collins
Puente about running for the
ASUO Executive. "I wanted to
make sunt that I was the Imst |ter
son for the job and I worried
about running against Leslie
(Warren, who ran for ASUO pres
ident). Mv concern was that the
election would polarize the stu
dents because the two campaigns
had similar stances."
This meant that even small
divisions in opinion would have
to be turned into huge gulfs if vot
ers were going to understand the
differences between the candi
dates.
Very few people, if any. would
have been able to predict the
depths to which the elections
won hi sink.
On April 14. the front-pane
headline in the Emerald read
“Candidate may have violated
ASUO rules."
"That week was the hardest
time in the campaign," Bowen
said. "The issue was not doing us
and the students any good."
Collins Puente agreed.
"Personally it was very
painful." she said. "I had to make
the distinction between what
could be expected in a political
race, and what was personal "
Soon, most of campus knew
ACCENTON
ERIC
BOWEN
AGE: 22
MAJOR: Political Science
FAVORITE DRIKING ESTABLISH
MENT: High Street
SPARE-TIME ACTIVITIES: Soccer
and reading
TRAVEL EXPERIENCE: Southern
Europe and North Alnca
that Collins Puente tm<! received
.i stipend from the AM ’() for her
multicultural adwxate position,
hut Ixx ause she was not enrolled
as a full-time student, she was
ineligible to collm t such funds
Neither Bowen or Collins
Puente believe that the "news
leak" was in am wav an orga
nized effort by the other i ondi
dates Vet. they both believe it
was an attempt to smear the i atn
paign.
"It was totally politically moti
vated " Collins Puente said. "Hut
I knew that lacslie had nothing to
do with it She approm had me
later and expressed her anger at
the situation
Hoth Bowen and Collins
Puente said the issue could have
been a legitimate concern, but
disagree on the way it was done.
■‘ There wasn't enough differ
ence in our stands on the issues,
so (the stipend problem) was the
only way to set us apart,” Bowen
said.
However, the matter did not
stop the campaign from winning
a majority in the spring elec lions.
The Bowen/Collins Puente cam
paign was not over yet.
Several people expressed con*
i ern about how the tin I lots were
counted and were pushing for a
re-count or even a new election
"I think (not calling a re-elei
tion) was in the Imst interest of
ACCENT ON I
DIANA
COLLINS
PUENTE
AGE: 21
MAJOR: Sociology
FAVORITE DRIKING ESTABLISH
MENT: High Street
SPARE-TIME ACTIVITIES:
Reading and writing
ACCENT: "I have a wonderful
Mom"
the students ami all the candl
(tail's, who would hinti to go
through tho election process
again." Collins I’umit*1 said
Bowen was oven < onsidermg
calling it ipiits if he mid Collins
Puente would have to go through
the elei turn again.
In the end the elections were
validated and the election of
Itowen and Collins Puente was
official
Vet, the chaos was not over.
Then. ASUO President Hobby
law announced he was resigning
on May IH in order to work on
the trnuhlo-riddcn Incidental Fee
Committee in an effort to move
things along more quicklv and
effu lenllv.
Bowen says he found out that
he was going to have to tuke over
the office two hours before the
announcement was made
Even though Bowen felt pres
sured to go through with it. ho
said it was the best thing to do in
order to get things hack oil the
right track.
As for this school year, the big
issues for the ASUO Executive
will he the upcoming state elec
tions and the sales tax proposal,
(tie multii ulturul curriculum that
will come lie fore the University
Assembly some time this year,
the changes at the ASUO
Women’s ( enter. < anipus safety
and access to education issues
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